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Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the prevalence of sleep disorders, factors related to sleep disturbance, and evidence-based treatment to address sleep problems displayed by children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Factors associated with sleep difficulties included behavior problems, genetic and psychiatric disorders, medical conditions, psychoactive medication use, and visual impairment. Melatonin and behavioral strategies of extinction and bedtime fading were reviewed to be effective at treating sleep disorders. Due to the paucity of evidence-based interventions, more research is needed to effectively assess and treat sleep disorders in individuals with intellectual disabilities.

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Correspondence to Deborah L. Grossett .

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Grossett, D.L., Johnson, C.M., Williams, D.E., Randall, D.L. (2016). Sleep Disorders. In: Singh, N. (eds) Handbook of Evidence-Based Practices in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Evidence-Based Practices in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26583-4_30

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